You guys don’t know me at all. Yeah I don’t jerk off to baseball prospectus. Hey I have a demanding day job. . But I can assure you I’m not a meatball. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m way more successful than all you guys. And smarter. Because I wouldn’t go calling people I don’t know meatball because they have a different opinion.

You guys don’t know me at all. Yeah I don’t jerk off to baseball prospectus. Hey I have a demanding day job. . But I can assure you I’m not a meatball. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m way more successful than all you guys. And smarter. Because I wouldn’t go calling people I don’t know meatball because they have a different opinion.

Go cubs. Peace out. ✌️

Agony and Ivy engaged your ideas seriously and explained in detail why he disagreed with them, and you completely ignored almost all of it. So if you weren't in this thread to seriously discuss ideas, how can you justify being so sanctimonious? It kind of seems like you're a person in a glass house who shouldn't have thrown stones.

5 x

"I'm not about numbers. I'm not a numbers guy at all... I've been lucky to have coaches and management who don't buy into that stuff." -Ryan Theriot

You guys don’t know me at all. Yeah I don’t jerk off to baseball prospectus. Hey I have a demanding day job. . But I can assure you I’m not a meatball. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m way more successful than all you guys. And smarter. Because I wouldn’t go calling people I don’t know meatball because they have a different opinion.

Go cubs. Peace out. ✌️

And you probably get better gals than us too!

1 x

The Cubs’ transaction list under Epstein and Hoyer reads like a work of fiction, a wish-fulfillment list composed in hindsight.

Additional rule: you have to have one or the other.The only exception is you have an amazing board name. davell, I'm looking at you; put up a [expletive] avatar or something if your name only sounds like somebody tried say Dave as they lapsed into a coma.

You guys don’t know me at all. Yeah I don’t jerk off to baseball prospectus. Hey I have a demanding day job. . But I can assure you I’m not a meatball. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m way more successful than all you guys. And smarter. Because I wouldn’t go calling people I don’t know meatball because they have a different opinion.

Go cubs. Peace out. ✌️

Most smart people I know can construct a sentence properly, but I understand that a ton of smart people can't actually write well.

Also, smart people can be meatballs, because, as I said earlier, a meatball opinion is one based on unquantifiable factors like the eye test or your feelings. When I said Bryant is a near perfect offensive player you simply came back with "I disagree there" without anything to back up your opinion. As we continued this dick dance, it became clear your opinion is literally based on things that don't matter and things you don't understand, even though you could never state specifically why you feel the way you do.

I wasn't trying to go down the road with insults, but the moment someone said you were wrong you went to the tried and true internet classic of "your parents' basement" and then doubled down with another message board classic with the "I'm smarter and more successful" post. When you resort to insults online, it's like raising your voice while debating in person, when you should be reinforcing your argument. The only thing that's left for you is to claim your 700 series BMW makes you the authority here.

You guys don’t know me at all. Yeah I don’t jerk off to baseball prospectus. Hey I have a demanding day job. . But I can assure you I’m not a meatball. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m way more successful than all you guys. And smarter. Because I wouldn’t go calling people I don’t know meatball because they have a different opinion.

Agony and Ivy wrote:Kris Bryant is a damn near perfect player offensively

This is where we disagree. He's not. And as good as he is, he has flaws and he can get better. As many 24-25 year olds do. Even Barry Bonds or Mike Trout.

And I'm not sure coaching is the answer. But how are you guys so sure coaching isn't the answer? The Cubs fired Bosio when you'd think Arrieta alone would've been worth some job security. And the historic 2016 pitching season.

And I love it how everyone likes to use the word "meatball" so freely to describe any opinion that differs from theirs. And ridicule their opinions. This is so horsefeathering condescending and disdainful. God, how annoying is it when people throw around the term "meatball" here.

Some people think they are so horsefeathering smart on an internet message board. For all I know, you guys who like to call other people meatball live in your parents basement. I know I don't.

You guys don’t know me at all. Yeah I don’t jerk off to baseball prospectus. Hey I have a demanding day job. . But I can assure you I’m not a meatball. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m way more successful than all you guys. And smarter. Because I wouldn’t go calling people I don’t know meatball because they have a different opinion.

You guys don’t know me at all. Yeah I don’t jerk off to baseball prospectus. Hey I have a demanding day job. . But I can assure you I’m not a meatball. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m way more successful than all you guys. And smarter. Because I wouldn’t go calling people I don’t know meatball because they have a different opinion.

Go cubs. Peace out. ✌️

Agony and Ivy engaged your ideas seriously and explained in detail why he disagreed with them, and you completely ignored almost all of it. So if you weren't in this thread to seriously discuss ideas, how can you justify being so sanctimonious? It kind of seems like you're a person in a glass house who shouldn't have thrown stones.

But it's his own glass house.

0 x

longhotsummer wrote:I realize now, any opposing viewpoint, will not be tolerated.

It’s pretty simple. The Cubs scored the second-most runs in the National League, behind the Colorado Rockies, but averaged just 2.5 runs per game in the 2017 postseason. Epstein noted that the Cubs have had mediocre offense the past three postseasons.

“Is it the fact that our offense is depressed in October, or is it a small sample or a coincidence?” Epstein said. “Or is there something intrinsic in our personnel and our approach? How we do it? How we get to those runs we created in the regular season that makes us more vulnerable to the type of pitching and the type of preparation and advance scouting you see in the postseason? It’s virtually impossible to answer except to say you’re safer assuming there is some element that you can control.”

It’s pretty simple. The Cubs scored the second-most runs in the National League, behind the Colorado Rockies, but averaged just 2.5 runs per game in the 2017 postseason. Epstein noted that the Cubs have had mediocre offense the past three postseasons.

“Is it the fact that our offense is depressed in October, or is it a small sample or a coincidence?” Epstein said. “Or is there something intrinsic in our personnel and our approach? How we do it? How we get to those runs we created in the regular season that makes us more vulnerable to the type of pitching and the type of preparation and advance scouting you see in the postseason? It’s virtually impossible to answer except to say you’re safer assuming there is some element that you can control.”

Right, and the safe money would be that the guy you would assume has been a big part of the regular season success could be a key part of helping shape a still young team. Again, this isn't a Bosio-type situation, where you had sustained regular season flaws then carry over into the postseason. The big hurdle is putting together a team that can have an offense this good in the regular season; what happens in the postseason is then just gravy. And the last thing you want to do in who you hire is doing so thinking that how they perform in the small sample size of the postseason is the focus as opposed to the regular season. Theo is saying it himself in what you quoted:

"How we get to those runs we created in the regular season that makes us more vulnerable to the type of pitching and the type of preparation and advance scouting you see in the postseason? It’s virtually impossible to answer except to say you’re safer assuming there is some element that you can control.”

Basically, "how do get what we're doing so well in the regular season to work in the postseason?" Well, Mallee is, presumably, a key reason why things work so well in the regular season. Why scrap that for the crapshoot of finding someone who who can handle things as well as he does regarding the regular season in the remote hopes he is also some kind of playoff savant? You're already 90% of the way there with Mallee. Work with the guy who has gotten you this far to see what could be changed or improved instead of starting over.

Sammy Sofa wrote:Basically, "how do get what we're doing so well in the regular season to work in the postseason?" Well, Mallee is, presumably, a key reason why things work so well in the regular season. Why scrap that for the crapshoot of finding someone who who can handle things as well as he does regarding the regular season in the remote hopes he is also some kind of playoff savant? You're already 90% of the way there with Mallee. Work with the guy who has gotten you this far to see what could be changed or improved instead of starting over.

How much can a player really change their approach from a 162 game regular season to the post season? They're probably used to making minor adjustments during the season, mostly because of the pitcher they're facing that day. But I can't imagine it'd be a drastic change for playoff games.

Edited for grammar.

Last edited by Cubfanintheknow on Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sammy Sofa wrote:Basically, "how do get what we're doing so well in the regular season to work in the postseason?" Well, Mallee is, presumably, a key reason why things work so well in the regular season. Why scrap that for the crapshoot of finding someone who who can handle things as well as he does regarding the regular season in the remote hopes he is also some kind of playoff savant? You're already 90% of the way there with Mallee. Work with the guy who has gotten you this far to see what could be changed or improved instead of starting over.

How much can a player really change their approach from a 162 game regular season to the post season? They're probably used to making minor adjustments during the season, mostly because of pitcher they're facing that day. But I can't imagine it'd be a drastic change for playoff games.

Agreed; I took what Theo said as more of somehow tapping into or focusing on something they've been able to do over the course of the regular season as opposed to having some kind of separate, mythical "playoff mode."

It’s pretty simple. The Cubs scored the second-most runs in the National League, behind the Colorado Rockies, but averaged just 2.5 runs per game in the 2017 postseason. Epstein noted that the Cubs have had mediocre offense the past three postseasons.

“Is it the fact that our offense is depressed in October, or is it a small sample or a coincidence?” Epstein said. “Or is there something intrinsic in our personnel and our approach? How we do it? How we get to those runs we created in the regular season that makes us more vulnerable to the type of pitching and the type of preparation and advance scouting you see in the postseason? It’s virtually impossible to answer except to say you’re safer assuming there is some element that you can control.”

I'd encourage you to keep posting. I like reading different viewpoints. People can be tough on here, but just keep being you.

1 x

Not saying it will happen, but the Cubs coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series does seem like the appropriate way to cap off this season and make the 30-for-30 even better.

This is what I recommend, Iv'e done it and I find life much less stressful. Or do what these guys do, surround yourself with only people who think like yourself and run everyone else of by bullying them. That's what they do here at NSBB. Just stick your head in every now and then to laugh at them from time to time and enjoy the 2 or 3 posters here that have intelligent ideas.

This is what I recommend, Iv'e done it and I find life much less stressful. Or do what these guys do, surround yourself with only people who think like yourself and run everyone else of by bullying them. That's what they do here at NSBB. Just stick your head in every now and then to laugh at them from time to time and enjoy the 2 or 3 posters here that have intelligent ideas.

Or, you know, engage in a debate and defend your ideas without playing the victim card

LeonDurham wrote:Some people think they are so horsefeathering smart on an internet message board.

LeonDurham wrote:In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m way more successful than all you guys. And smarter.

And then followed up by a dude talking about how much he can't stand NSBB, yet can't stop himself from coming back, who thinks the guy bragging about smart and successful he is is the one being "bullied."

woodchip2153 wrote:Apparently I'm the only one who thinks the Cubs guess too much.

But let me just say I have no doubts the offense will be better next year and the team will be one of the best teams in baseball again. I just thought this my be a way they could improve.

Baseball players guess. You said yourself you only watch Cubs, so of course you are going to see "guessing" more from them than other teams. The team's approach is great. The offense is great. It's not unstoppable but no lineup is.

No horsefeathering horsefeathers no lineup is unstoppable.

Why do people find the need to misrepresent what I'm trying to say to make me look like I'm being ridiculous.

I'm not or ever was demanding Mallee be fired. I think he has done a lot of things well. I'm just assuming the guessing comes from him.

I'm not saying the offense was bad or needs to be perfect. The projections said they should be better, and iirc many here thought those projections were low. So when they don't perform up to the projections, I think it's fair to ask why or if they could be better. There are the obvious answers like the team being young and developing, along with injuries, but are there other reasons? I think they guess too much, and I've felt this last year and year before too, but the results were and continue to be great so I didn't bring it up earlier.

There's a good chance the guessing pays off more than it hurts. I think Rizzo guesses more than anyone, and obviously he's been pretty successful. I know he's gotten hits by guessing, but I just don't like it when he gets up in the count and swings at a breaking pitch that bounces 3 feet in front of the plate.

I brought it up to see if anyone else thought it might be an issue. It appears no on else has either noticed the same thing I have, or thinks it's an issue. Which is cool, but I don't think bringing it up, makes me a meatball. I'm sure the front office is looking at ways to improve the offense, and I'm sure they looked at ways to possibly improve the teams approach too. Does that mean they thought the offense was terrible or that they are meatballs too?